I've just noticed that LIDL supermarkets will be selling some outside spotlights, for lighting up an area outside.These type of lights are ideal for front gardens, rear gardens, outside garages, for use as security lights, or any large area that needs illumination.

It is only £11.99, which is not that bad, but there's a bit of a catch.

These lights have PIR motion detectors, which are great for short, controlled bursts of light with an appropriate type of bulb. It means that, as soon as motion is detected (for example, people walking into the area), the light is switched on to provide the correct illumination. The amount of time the light remains on for, is controlled by the settings on the light, and can be adjusted between 1 and 15 minutes per time. Great with an LED as it gives a good amount of controlled light for the area.

Here's the big catch: the light supplied is rated 23W, so obviously isn't LED. The page doesn't suggest LED in any way, but it does say "energy saving". Therefore, with the wattage and info supplied, it has to be CFL - i.e. the weird looking twisty bulbs that were used before LEDs made it big.

CFL bulbs have a rated lifespan of 10,000 hours - about 1/3rd of the lifespan of LEDs. But, and this is a big but, the lifespan of CFLs (and any fluorescent light come to that) is heavily dependent on the amount of on/off cycles that the bulb experiences. On average, CFs (and other fluoros) tend to conk out around the 3,000-3,500 on/off cycles. This gives them their 10000 hour rating (based on 3 hours a day).

Even if the above explanation was your first insight into how CFLs/Fluoro's work (you can read more about their working, and EOL signs on Wikipedia) then you'll realize that pairing a CF with a PIR motion sensor is just about the worst thing you can do. CFs like to be left on, yet PIRs switch the light on and off every time there is movement.

To give you an idea on how bad this is in reality, here's a best case, and worst case scenario. Remember, CF's are supposed to last 10,000 hours - for comparison sake, an LED will last 30,000 hours (regardless of switching cycles) and incandescent/halogen lights are rated 1,000-2,000 hours (regardless of switching cycles).

In fact, to see why it is a disaster, let's compare those calculations with the rated lifespan at 3hrs/cycle (10,000 hours). At 800 hours (best case scenario), the light bulb is being used for 8% of what it was designed for.However...At 50 hours (worst case scenario), the light bulb is being used for just 0.5% of what it was designed to be.That means that 99.5% of the working hours of the bulb were lost by the high frequency of on/off cycles.And that's how switching on/off a CFL, or fluorescent bulb, will dramatically affect its operating hours.

This is why you should NOT pair a CFL bulb (or any bulb whose lifespan is dependent on switching cycles) with a PIR senor (or any other sensor that switches on/off rapidly).A photocell, like what is found on streetlights, would be way better as it would keep the area illuminated for a long time and therefore keep the integrity of the bulb for way longer (and possibly even more than its 10,000 hour rating).

Apart from that inherent design flaw, though, they look like good fittings - therefore, if I was going to buy one of those, I'd be very tempted to either take the CFL out, and put in an LED (or even an incandescent or halogen, as they'd both fare up better than the CF, see calculations above) - or otherwise, disconnect the PIR sensor so that the CFL was permanently illuminated whenever power was applied to the fitting.

Note: those lights also come with a 3 year warranty... I'd be tempted to use one, then take it back after 50 hours of use and complain that the bulb crapped out on me - which, if used on the lowest setting, at 1 minute intervals, would actually happen.

Kyx wrote:@spotify95 I was going to suggest switching the bulb for an LED

This kind of stuff should be made into YouTube videos too so more people know

Yes, this is correct indeed! In fact, switching it for an incandescent or halogen bulb would work better!

Hopefully, you took note of the calculations (if I've messed up, let me know) and saw just how poor the concept of a CFL paired with a PIR really was...(If you need me to explain how CFs, or fluorescent light bulbs work, I can do separately.)

One of us needs to buy one of these, so we can make a Youtube video about it. Hopefully, with monetization enabled, the money I spend on the bulb will be got back from the viewings, so I'll have a free bulb to convert to how I want it...

Kyx wrote:@spotify95 I was going to suggest switching the bulb for an LED

This kind of stuff should be made into YouTube videos too so more people know

Yes, this is correct indeed! In fact, switching it for an incandescent or halogen bulb would work better!

Hopefully, you took note of the calculations (if I've messed up, let me know) and saw just how poor the concept of a CFL paired with a PIR really was...(If you need me to explain how CFs, or fluorescent light bulbs work, I can do separately.)

One of us needs to buy one of these, so we can make a Youtube video about it. Hopefully, with monetization enabled, the money I spend on the bulb will be got back from the viewings, so I'll have a free bulb to convert to how I want it...

Read the instructions on the box (didn't buy one), and the box claims that the lamp will last 8,000 hours.

Maybe if someone took a zero off that figure, they'd get the maximum lamp lifespan, and if they knocked another zero off, they'd get the minimum lamp lifespan.

What the average lifespan would be, I don't know. It'd be somewhere between 50h and 750h. Depends on what the average on/off time would be (between 1 and 15 minutes).

If you still want me to make a video on this then I'll get one tomorrow, shove it into storage, then do a video on it when I can be bothered to. Also, if either of you want this lamp once I've finished with it, then let me know. Depending on what the cap is (I forgot to check that - doh!) depends on whether or not I'll be able to LED it for free, or whether you'll have to have a halogen or incandescent bulb. (I don't intend on paying for a bulb, unless you want to get an LED, and I don't intend on keeping that CFL bulb in there with the PIR sensor!)

I've managed to get my hands on one of these things and an autopsy will be coming soon, either Friday or next week sometime.

Once I'm done with the autopsy, I won't need the lamp, so @pinkteddyx64 or @Kyx, if you want the spotlight then you can have it at cost price. I'll even change the CFL for an incandescent or halogen bulb for free, which will be more suitable for use in a PIR.

If no one on here wants it then it will go on eBay.

Also, the ironic thing about this, is that today, I went into Lidl and noticed that they are selling another type of spotlight (as part of one of their themed weeks, I presume). It costs £24.99 instead of £11.99, but is much more suitable as it is a 30W LED, so much brighter and will last a lot longer as well! Expect that to be in the Youtube video autopsy.

edit: Excellent stuff, the bulb that is supplied is an E27 screw fitting. That's just what I needed, because I can swap that out for an LED very quickly, and very cheaply (potentially free).

spotify95 wrote:I've managed to get my hands on one of these things and an autopsy will be coming soon, either Friday or next week sometime.

Once I'm done with the autopsy, I won't need the lamp, so @pinkteddyx64 or @Kyx, if you want the spotlight then you can have it at cost price. I'll even change the CFL for an incandescent or halogen bulb for free, which will be more suitable for use in a PIR.

If no one on here wants it then it will go on eBay.

Also, the ironic thing about this, is that today, I went into Lidl and noticed that they are selling another type of spotlight (as part of one of their themed weeks, I presume). It costs £24.99 instead of £11.99, but is much more suitable as it is a 30W LED, so much brighter and will last a lot longer as well! Expect that to be in the Youtube video autopsy.

Update:Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, the video regarding this light fitting will have to be temporarily put on hold. I'm not feeling good so no way can I do a YouTube video like this!

Assuming I'm feeling well, it will be recorded on Wednesday, for editing/uploading shortly after that.

spotify95 wrote:Update:Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, the video regarding this light fitting will have to be temporarily put on hold. I'm not feeling good so no way can I do a YouTube video like this!

Assuming I'm feeling well, it will be recorded on Wednesday, for editing/uploading shortly after that.

spotify95 wrote:Update:Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, the video regarding this light fitting will have to be temporarily put on hold. I'm not feeling good so no way can I do a YouTube video like this!

Assuming I'm feeling well, it will be recorded on Wednesday, for editing/uploading shortly after that.

Thanks There's no way this video is going out anytime soon; certainly not tomorrow anyway.

Btw, did you want this spotlight once I've finished with it? I do recall saying this before that it will be getting sold on (to either yourself, @pinkteddyx64, or someone else) once I'm done with it. I can also do a straight swap to an incandescent, halogen or LED as it is a screw in fitting, and for obvious reasons, you won't want to use a CFL with a PIR.

spotify95 wrote:Update:Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, the video regarding this light fitting will have to be temporarily put on hold. I'm not feeling good so no way can I do a YouTube video like this!

Assuming I'm feeling well, it will be recorded on Wednesday, for editing/uploading shortly after that.

Thanks There's no way this video is going out anytime soon; certainly not tomorrow anyway.

Btw, did you want this spotlight once I've finished with it? I do recall saying this before that it will be getting sold on (to either yourself, @pinkteddyx64, or someone else) once I'm done with it. I can also do a straight swap to an incandescent, halogen or LED as it is a screw in fitting, and for obvious reasons, you won't want to use a CFL with a PIR.

No spotlight pls. I have way too many things and nowhere to store them. I’m also broke. :lol:

spotify95 wrote:Update:Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, the video regarding this light fitting will have to be temporarily put on hold. I'm not feeling good so no way can I do a YouTube video like this!

Assuming I'm feeling well, it will be recorded on Wednesday, for editing/uploading shortly after that.

Thanks There's no way this video is going out anytime soon; certainly not tomorrow anyway.

Btw, did you want this spotlight once I've finished with it? I do recall saying this before that it will be getting sold on (to either yourself, @pinkteddyx64, or someone else) once I'm done with it. I can also do a straight swap to an incandescent, halogen or LED as it is a screw in fitting, and for obvious reasons, you won't want to use a CFL with a PIR.

No spotlight pls. I have way too many things and nowhere to store them. I’m also broke. :lol:

Okay thanks for letting me know if there's anyone you know who needs a spotlight then let me know. Also if you needed to get rid of anything, again let me know and I might have a use for it!

Update regarding the video: still mowed down under a nasty cold. Hasn't settled yet so Weds is definitely out of the question (plus my timetable changed for the week).Friday (or next week...) is looking like the best bet to do it on assuming that I am well enough to do the video!

Other people have also noticed that it is a CFL instead of LED, and some have also noted that a CFL with a PIR is a very bad idea. Though they didn't state that the lamp would only last 50-750 hours if in use!

I will definitely link to that article when I make the video for Quantum Quasar's channel.

Other people have also noticed that it is a CFL instead of LED, and some have also noted that a CFL with a PIR is a very bad idea. Though they didn't state that the lamp would only last 50-750 hours if in use!

I will definitely link to that article when I make the video for Quantum Quasar's channel.